We don't beat the teams we should.We are 10-2 vs. Yanks.Eight games better,yet we're tied in the loss column.Yanks almost always beat the teams they should.That's why they always win the division.We have 23 losses to the likes of Cleve;Bal;Sea;CWS;S.D;Pitts;and KC.Just once can we win the East to shut the Yankee fans up.This team just can't get up for these teams.Fracona needs to put his foot in their butts,when they play these teams.Instead of worring about winning these games,he worries about being everybodys buddy.I know your not going to win every game,but you should win most of these games with the team we have.What does other posters feel on this subject?

We might not win the East. Then again, maybe we will. Yes, losing two of three to the Mariners is pretty crappy, but let's get some perspective ... it's the first series Boston has lost in six weeks. I don't think it's time to sell our stock yet.

The last time the Red Sox had a winning record against the Yankees in the regular season was 2004 when the Sox were 11-8 against the Yanks. The Red Sox had losing records against Tampa Bay when the Rays won AL East titles in 2008 and 2010.

Those might be among the reasons the Red Sox have won only one division title since 1995.

The main reason the Red Sox have only one division title since 1995,is what I stated early,they just don't get up for the weaker teams.They think they can just show up and it should be a automatic win.I know it's very possible they can lose a season series to another contending team.

I find it strange how people here can shout that the Red Sox have won more WS titles than the Yankees since 2004, and yet b*tch about not winning the AL East title more often. Strange to say the leastPosted by legion12941

Don't make the assumption that everyone that bi-tches is really a Sox fan. Many come here and pretend to be Sox fans. It is in the troll's bag of tricks - look up concern trolls.

The main reason the Red Sox have only one division title since 1995,is what I stated early,they just don't get up for the weaker teams.They think they can just show up and it should be a automatic win.I know it's very possible they can lose a season series to another contending team.Posted by xmen

Xmen,In fairness to the current owners going back to 95 isn't an acurate assement of the current regime's results. Henry bought the team in 2002 and since 2003 we've played in 4 ALCS and won 2 World Series...not bad for a team that hadn't won one since Babe Ruth played for us...Winning the division tittle isn't the end all be all since the advent of the WC, having your pitching staff lined up and healthy is far more important. Since 2003 the Sox have only missed the post season twice in 2006 and 2010 in both years our rosters were decimated with injuries to key guys. In that time we won 1 division crown (2007) and teid for another but lost it due to the tiebreaker with the Yanks who won the season series that year...an advantage we have this year becasue we've already won the season series.

From 96 to 2000 we never had the pitching after Pedro to compete with the Yanks and during that time period. The Yankees dominated the game with a four deep rotation and arguably the best closer in history MO.

I'd say given the fact that we play in the same division with a team that has for more than a decade out spent us by an average of 50M per year held our own and make no mistake about it it's going to be a dogfight from here on...

We don't beat the teams we should.We are 10-2 vs. Yanks.Eight games better,yet we're tied in the loss column.Yanks almost always beat the teams they should.That's why they always win the division.We have 23 losses to the likes of Cleve;Bal;Sea;CWS;S.D;Pitts;and KC.Just once can we win the East to shut the Yankee fans up.This team just can't get up for these teams.Fracona needs to put his foot in their butts,when they play these teams.Instead of worring about winning these games,he worries about being everybodys buddy.I know your not going to win every game,but you should win most of these games with the team we have.What does other posters feel on this subject?Posted by xmen

I think you may be right about this, especially about the fact that Tito seems not very effective at getting the team to produce against mediocre opposition. With such a long season, it is hard for players to get themselves up for every game, and so they naturally get up for playing the Yanks, etc. but it would seem to be the job of the manager to get them up for more (if not all) games against the lesser teams, as theoretically all wins count the same and the ones against against lesser teams ought to be easier to achieve.

Actually, the numbers don't bear out this notion that the Sox don't get up for inferior competition. The Sox are 31-16 this season vs. clubs currently under .500. That is a .66 winning %, a good deal better than their overall winning %. I'd venture to say this is about the ballpark of other recent seasons as well, though its not worth doing the research. It hurts my brain. I'd say it just seems like they play down to the competetion because the losses to lesser opponents are more frustrating. One loss to the O's or the Moose-Mariners seems like 2. I don't know. But for those of you who expect sweeps if a team is a cellar dweller, this is baseball, not football or basketball. It is about match-ups, and on any given day, any club can beat even the best. Thats why even the best clubs only win about 65% of their games. Still a lot of good ballplayers on these clubs. Furbush is still young and working out his game, but he is an excellent talent and shutting down a high powered line-up is not so unbelievable. Though, I suppose it is bad,, due to the loss seeming like two.

In Response to Reason we never win A.L.East : I think you may be right about this, especially about the fact that Tito seems not very effective at getting the team to produce against mediocre opposition. With such a long season, it is hard for players to get themselves up for every game, and so they naturally get up for playing the Yanks, etc. but it would seem to be the job of the manager to get them up for more (if not all) games against the lesser teams, as theoretically all wins count the same and the ones against against lesser teams ought to be easier to achieve.Posted by pschuller

Losing to Felix Hernandez the regiening CY young winner in his home park is hardy something to lose a ton of sleep over...A game we had our chances to win, after faling behind 5-0 it's not like Francona sat on his hands or spent the night playing cribbage with Pedrioa. We had the tying runs on base in the 6th, 7th and 8th and hit into two double plays and Macdonald who pinch ran for Papi who singled was caught stealing trying to get into scoring position with two outs.(after hitting a bomb to right that was foul by less than a foot, that would've tied the game)...

In yesterday's game (I was at the game) Wake pitched well enough to win had our defesne not kicked the ball around in the innings he gave up 3 runs or if a couple of balls we squared up with runners on had found grass....The 1st run the M's scored was on a sacfly, which was set up by Well's attempted steal of second when Salty made a strong throw on a hop to Pedrioa covering, he failed to catch the ball, had he done so, the runner was out by 10 feet! Wells ended up on third with no one out...Then Gonzalez makes bad throw to second in which Lowrie failed to step on the bag trying to turn two the result was we didn't even get an out. Thus the M's scored 3 when the reality is they shouldn't have plated a single run...Runs that ultimately proved to be the difference...Offesively The Sox squared up 4 or 5 balls with runners on and got nothing to show for it...MacDonald & Pedrioa both hit rockets to right center that off the bat looked and sounded like they were gone! but the wind was blowing in and the Safeco Field death to righthanded hitters equasion reared it's ugly head...Youk also hit a line drive to right center that Ichiro made a nice running catch on...that's baseball.

Let's see 1st place in the AL East: Check Best record in the AL: Check 2nd best record in MLB: Check 8 Games up for Wild Card: Check Some Sox fans still unhappy: Check Seems like everything here checks out.Posted by mrmojo1120

jd crawford sux:checktito is inept:checktheo is stupid:checkSOX are temporarily in 1st place(see above):checkwake will get his 200th win next year:checksome sox fans still believe in reality:check

In Response to Re: Reason we never win A.L.East : jd crawford sux:check tito is inept:check theo is stupid:check SOX are temporarily in 1st place(see above):check wake will get his 200th win next year:check some sox fans still believe in reality:checkPosted by -theyazzer-

theyazzer is a Yankees fan: Checktheyazzer never post anything positive about the Sox: Checktheyazzer opins fall under the same heading as Softy's: Check

when your own manager says that getting into the playoffs is more important than where/how you get in, then what do you expect?

i railed against this in 2009 when we backed into the playoffs and I was told million times that momentum means nothing once the post-season starts...then rightfully predicted we would get swept...

letting the Yanks win the division in this tough year of good teams in AL, and with the NL guarenteed the home field in the World Series, is just nuts in my opinion...please Terry play for the division title - it does matter - especially this year!

In Response to Re: Reason we never win A.L.East : theyazzer is a Yankees fan: Check theyazzer never post anything positive about the Sox: Check theyazzer opins fall under the same heading as Softy's: CheckPosted by Beantowne

here's somthing positive musical beans,

the SOX will not end up in 1st in the AL EAST.oh, and just because jd crawford does suk, and just because tito is a mediocre manager, and just because theo couldn't sign a decent FA if his life depended on it, doesn't make me a YANK-EM fan.however, it does make mr beans seem like an idiot.